The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus including at least one input/output chamber. The load lock device includes a base, a guide rail, a platform and an optical measuring module. The guide rail is connected to the base. The platform, carrying a cassette for holding a batch of spaced substrates, is movably disposed on the guide rail. The optical measuring module is configured to acquire an actual moving distance traveled by the platform along the guide rail based on at least one optical signal reflected from the platform.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the load lock device further comprises a motor electrically coupled to the processor and configured to move the platform upward and downward along the guide rail, wherein the controller is configured to generate a preset moving distance for moving the platform, wherein the preset moving distance is provided to the processor and eventually the motor, and the processor is configured to compare a difference between the preset moving distance and the actual moving distance and issue an alarm if the difference is greater than a threshold.
3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the optical measuring module further comprises a display for displaying the actual moving distance and a comparison result.
5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the optical measuring module further comprises a light reflector disposed on the platform and in an optical propagation path of light to direct light generally to the light receiver.
6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the light emitter and the light receiver are disposed on the base.
9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of gate valves electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the gate valves, during a close operation, are employed to hermetically isolate the input/output chamber from the processing chamber, and the gate valves, during an open operation, allow the handler to load and unload the substrates.
11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light emitter and the light receiver are disposed on the base and the platform, respectively.
12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the actual moving distance traveled by the platform along the guide rail is determined based on an amount of light impinging on the light receiver.
13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the actual moving distance traveled by the platform along the guide rail is determined based on a travel time of the light pulse from the light emitter to the light receiver.
14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the optical measuring module further includes a processor electrically coupled to the light emitter and the light receiver, the load lock device further comprises a motor electrically coupled to the processor and configured to move the platform upward and downward along the guide rail, the controller is configured to generate a preset moving distance for moving the platform, wherein the preset moving distance is provided to the processor and eventually the motor, and the processor is configured to compare a difference between the preset moving distance and the actual moving distance and issue an alarm if the difference is greater than a threshold.
15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the optical measuring module further comprises a display for displaying the actual moving distance and a comparison result provided by the processor.
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March 3, 2021
December 6, 2022
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